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VIRGIL DRAPER, OF NORTH ATTLEBORO, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO OSCAR M.DRAPER, OF SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 69,547, datedctober 8. 1867.

IMPROVED DEVICE FOR THE MANUFACTRE 0F WATCH-KEYS.

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TO. ALL PERSONS TO WIIOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME:

Bc it known that I, VIRGIL DRAPER, 'of North Attleboro, in the county ofBristol, and State of Massachusetts, have made a new and usefulinvention having reference to fateli-Keys; and do hereby declare thesame to be fully.' described in the following specification, andrepresented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 is a sideview,

Figure 2 an end view, and

Figure 3 a longitudinal section o'f a duplex watch-key made inaccordance with my invention.

AFigure 4 is a side elevation, and

Figure 5 a longitudinal section of the shank-holder and dios employed inthe formation of' such key.

Figure 6 is a top view of the shank-holder vand its upper annulus.

Figure 7-is a side view, and

Figure 8 alower end View of one of the cavity dies.

Figure 9 is a horizontal section taken through the middle of theshank-holders.

The watch-key,-shown in gs. 1, 2 and 3, has a shank, l, two bulbs orheads h h, and two windingl pipes or socketed projections iz', theybeing arranged as represented in such drawings. Each of the pipes orsocketed projections is to be made so as to receive within it and fit tothe prismatic end of the arbor of a watch, and, consequently, has aprismatic cavity made in each end of it, the head at either end servingto enable a person to revolve the key when the pipe next the oppositehead is in use. Each of these keys I make from a piece of metallicwire,o'fv`suitable length, and by means of dies or mechanism to behereinafter explained.

The first part of such mechanism is the shank-holder, which consists oftwo separate blocks of steel A A, (see iigs. 6 and 9,) each of which isformed with a semi-cylindrical passage, a, extending through its face,and terminating in two semi-dies b b, each of which opens into one oftwo semi-cylindrical chambers, c c, formed in the block. Each block Ahas two semi-cylindrical necks, on which, when the two blocks are placedone against the other, annuli or rings e e are arranged or driven forthe purpose of holding the two blocks A A together. A plunger, B,provided with a cylindrical neck,f, having a diameter corresponding withthat of each chamber, c, is formed with -a concave die, f', and acylindrical or slightly tapering recess or die, g, leading from the saiddie f. The dies andf are for forming the heads h h, (see ligs. 1, 2 and3,) of the watch-key. The dies or parts g are for forming the pipeprojections lt' z' of such key, and also to hold the movable dies k c bywhich the prismatc cavities or recesses of the pipe projections areformed. These dies k c, are made with prismatic Shanks, each of which ispointed or made pyramidal at its end. The grooves a a of the blocks A A,and which may more properly be termed the shank-holders, are to hold thepiece of wire firmly while it is in the` act of' being upset and headedand otherwise formed.

In using the dies, a piece of round wire of the proper length, and.having a diameter equal to that of the shank-holders, and each of itstwo ends bored into a short distance, is to be placed within theshank-holders or grooves a a, after-which the pieces A A are to have theannuli e e driven on their necks.-

Next, by means of a press, the two plungers B B, having the cavity diesk c in them, are to be forced into the chambers c c and against the twoopposite ends of the rod or blank', so as to upset them and form theheads, the pipe projections, and the prismatic cavities thereof. Afterthis the heads may be milled and otherwise finished, the shank turneddown, and a. suspension clasp put on the middle of the shank of theduplex key thus made.

The duplex watch-key thus made will have tiro pipes, and it will alsohave two heads, by the aid of one of which it may be'revolved wheneither of the pipes is used for winding or revolvinga watch-arbor. Itwill often be found convenient to have a key provided with two pipes ofthe same size or different sizes of cavities. By putting dies ofsuitable form in the cavities g g, or by using plungers made withoutsuch cavities, but with the dies ff, double-headed watch-chain bars maybe made from wire and with the shank-holding grooves a a and the dies liThe article made by the dies, before being finished, is usually termedthe bar or the blank," as

the caso may be.

.I claim the combination of the shank-holders, the dies for forming theheads, those for forming the pipe projections, and those for forming thecavities in such projections, as set forth.

' VIRGIL DRAPER.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, F. P. HALE, Jr.

